Note: The info below is exactly what I email or mail to people who have registered for FallFling. It will tell you more about what to expect when you arrive, what to bring for potluck, and give you some guidelines. Please read the entire thing very carefully. You'll notice that some (but not all) of the info below is also found in the Rules and the Site Info - let's just say I believe in redundancy. I figure if you read a particularly important item two or three times, maybe you'll remember it! :)
Arrival & Check-In Procedures
Festival Schedule
Trash/Leave No Trace
Driving On-Site
Camping, RV Info
Parking - Where To Park, Where NOT To
Fires, Fire Safety, Firewood
Policy on Dogs
Meals, Water, Pot-Luck Info
Safety, Security, Contacting Someone On-Site
Volunteering
Other Stuff
Stop at Registration Booth: All cars must STOP at the registration booth upon entering
the site, and again every
single time you re-enter the site. There will be no more "Registered FallFling
Participants" passes given out, so you must stop to have every person in your car checked in
(again). Absolutely NO ONE will be permitted to enter the site for any length of time whatsoever
without having properly registered and paid. Anyone caught doing so will be immediately
escorted from the site. If you are bringing something to someone already on-site, they will need
to meet you at the registration booth. If someone is paying for you later, you cannot enter until
your admission is paid by them. This rule is *not* negotiable.
Wristbands: Each and every adult, child (except for non-mobile babies), and properly
registered dog will get a wristband which must be worn so that it is visible at all times. You will
receive ONE wristband only; if yours breaks, you can come to Security Headquarters to have it
repaired. If you lose your wristband, you will have to pay full admission fee ($60) again to be
allowed to remain on-site. Again, this rule is *not* negotiable.
Early Arrivals: Please plan to arrive on *Thursday* at noon or later! My staff and a few
vendors
who need to set up early are allowed to arrive on Wednesday with prior permission. The gate
will be locked prior to Thursday at noon, and any people who want to arrive before that time
**MUST MAKE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS WITH JAMES & RITA (770-258-0863) and must
pay
$10/person/day at the gate (not to Bob at the barn) upon arrival. Keep in mind that FallFling
starts THURSDAY at noon (and *ends* on Sunday at noon) -
people arriving early put a drain on electricity, propane, gas, water, etc., plus just make it hard
for the site managers to do their mowing and maintenance.
Friday: Classes and workshops begin on Friday morning. NO CARS allowed in vendor
area
in front of stage after 6:00 pm! You can drive around on
one of the upper terraces, or come around the back way.
Saturday:Classes and workshops continue. That evening we'll have an open ritual to
celebrate
the dance of the Seasons. We'll top off the evening with music, dancing, and general revelry.
Again, NO
CARS allowed in merchant/stage area after 6:00 pm or during daytime music performance
hours!
Sunday: The site closes Sunday at 12:00 noon EDT. ALL PEOPLE MUST BE
OFF-SITE
BY
3:00 PM ON SUNDAY!!! We'll need people to help clean up, starting early that morning.
LNT: If you'd like to read up on LNT, here are some good LNT principles & ideas as
they apply to Burning Man specifically: http://www.burningman.co
m/environment/resources/lnt.html. Prepare ahead of time; remove all excess packaging from
things, bring things in large containers rather than several small ones, prepackage your food
before you leave home, plan to recycle some of your trash (glass, cans) later, check your camp
and surrounding areas for MOOP (Matter Out of Place) very carefully before you leave.
Don't Park in the Roadways: Most of the roads at Dragon Hills are pretty obvious and
are easy
to keep clear. But, the road going through the trees at the top of the hill, which then goes
down to the sweatlodge area, is rather narrow. ALL ROADS MUST BE KEPT CLEAR
ALL WEEKEND!!! This is so emergency vehicles (i.e., large fire trucks) can get in and out.
If roads are not kept clear, cars will be towed! A worst-case scenario is that the fire folks
could shut the whole festival down. Very bad news. So do your part, and keep your cars
and tents out of these narrow roads.
Driving Around On-Site: Please limit your driving past the Kitchen to the
Stage area to unload as cars stir up lots of dust, and this is a pedestrian area. The roadway
between the Kitchen and the Stage must be kept clear at all times - NO PARKING HERE EVEN
TO UNLOAD! (You can park on one of the terraces.) No cars whatsoever will be allowed on
this roadway after 6:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights or during daytime performance times.
This is a pedestrian area, and safety comes first. You may drive on the upper terraces, or around
the back side, on the alternate route shown on the map, but the terraces are kind of rough (when
crossing a lollybump, hit it at an angle, not straight on). Please respect this route as a road, and
keep it clear of cars and tents cars may not be parked in the lower area past the stage. This is for
camping and driving only.
Vendor/Stage Area: Remember, NO CARS ALLOWED IN VENDOR AREA IN
FRONT OF STAGE AFTER 6:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. Plan for this. We're serious. There
are just way too many kids and people walking around in what should be a safe area. You can
drive around on one of the upper terraces, or drive around the back way (alternate route on map)
if you need to, but be careful of driving over the terraces.
Electricity for RVs & Campers: There are a *very few* hookups at the Great Hall for
RVs and campers for electricity *only* (no water or sewage); I don't know if the system will
handle air conditioning. All these hookups must be reserved and paid for ahead of time with
James & Rita, the site managers (770-258-0863). Apart from these few limited hookups,
non-vendor RVs and campers MAY NOT PLUG IN to the electrical grid - not at the reg booth,
not at the Great Hall, not at the Kitchen - not anywhere - especially to run AC. The system as a
whole is just not built to handle it. Vendors with RVs or campers may plug in if the electricity
fee is paid, but this is only for lights and small appliances (absolutely not for air conditioning).
All RVs and campers must run silently in self-contained mode (no generators!!).
Cabins: There are a very limited number of cabins available for rent - please contact James & Rita (770)-258-0863 to reserve one.
Camping Areas: A very few people have bought yearly memberships at Dragon Hills
Retreat, and these people will have reserved camping spots *if* they attend the festival (if they
don't attend, their spot will be available to anyone). All other areas are public domain and are up
for grabs, but please ASK before you set up next to someone else, in case they have that area set
aside for their group. There is a large map at the registration booth and one in the schedule
booklet, so you can find the camping and parking areas. There is a lovely flat, grassy plain at the
top of the hill - DON'T camp there! This is the main ritual area, and is clearly marked. Also,
the field across from the showers (just past the registration booth) is the
parking field. Past the booth and showers, the main road curves around to the right and goes
down the hill. This road, going down the hill, separates the parking area on the right from the
main gathering area, including most camping, on the left. You may also camp across from the
drum circle, just above the Weyr.
Places NOT to Park: Do NOT park past the Great Hall, and definitely
DO NOT double-park behind other cars. The area just above Psycho Corner past the vendor area
draws parked cars like flies; please do not park here. In the Weyr and main area (Stage and
vendor area and on along the tree line and terraces), ALL cars must be moved to the parking area
after unloading: the only exception is vendors with prior permission to park at their booths (these
vehicles are anchored for the duration of the festival). DO NOT park your car in a no-parking
area, then leave it for any length of time! If you must park your car temporarily
somewhere (as to unload), leave your keys in the ignition so we can move it in an
emergency.
Fire Safety: Use common sense with your campfires and tiki torches. After battling a
forest fire at a previous festival, we're a bit paranoid about fires. If you light a fire, stay with it. If
you light a fire, stay with it. Keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water by your fire at all times.
Rake away all leaves and debris from around the fire. DO NOT build up a big, roaring fire and
leave it! (Leaving a small fire or bed of coals for a short time is okay.) Be sure that tiki torches
are not close to overhanging limbs, and are not placed where they will light a tent on fire if they
fall over.
Firewood: The firewood at the drum circle is FOR the drum circle. If you plan to have a
fire at your campsite (or in the Pavilion), PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN FIREWOOD! You
may also pick up downed wood on-site.
Potluck: We won't have our traditional potluck dinner at FallFling this year (and
possibly from here on out at FallFling). Instead, what I'd like to do is have a potluck at the Black
Hat Society Ball, hosted by Siryn in the Great Hall on Saturday evening after the live music is
finished (approximately 8 pm at this point). Since this will be *after* dinner time, rather than
having full dinner-type foods, just bring appetizers, snacks, finger foods, and desserts. The usual
rules apply - please clean up after yourself, take your food back to camp with you that night, etc.
If you could, please reply back to let me know what you plan to bring, so I can kind of keep a
running tally. Participation is NOT required, but definitely appreciated!
Meals:All meals are provide-your-own; you'll need to bring food and cookware,
and grill or campstove (or buy meals from the food vendors). The kitchen is off-limits to
participants. There are sinks outside the Kitchen for dishwashing (no hot water, bring your own
soap and sponge). Please bring a cooler for your food - there are no storage facilities in the
Kitchen for food or drinks.
Food Vendors: Quacker Barrel will be in the Kitchen to provide their yummy food
(breakfast, lunch,
dinner, snacks, drinks) for a reasonable price all weekend. We may also have other food vendors
(none
confirmed yet). Plan for this, so you don't have to bring too much food of your own if you don't
want to.
Water: There is hot and cold running water at the sinks outside the Kitchen for washing
(bring your own soap and sponge). You should still plan on bringing some water for your
campsite - 3-5 gallons. There is hot water for showers, but please remember the supply is not
infinite. One year the propane gas which heats the water was completely used up by someone
taking a two-hour long shower; please be considerate in your usage and take SHORT showers!
Hot water will be cut off at midnight.
Getting Help: If you need to reach Linda, or any of the Security team, and can't find us,
there will be a walkie-talkie at the Kitchen at all times, hanging on a nail above the counter to
the right. The security team is headquartered in the huge RV parked beside the Great Hall;
festival headquarters is at the Bio-Buzz vendor tent. There are several people on-site who have
cell phones in case of an emergency; for all other calls, please go to the corner convenience store
and use the pay phone.
Other Legal Stuff: Please be careful about whom you choose to bring to the festival
with
you, as they may not appreciate the atmosphere, or potentially cause problems. Make sure you
know the person well, and can vouch for their good behavior! Along those lines, rules about no
illegal substances, theft, threat to or endangerment of others, and other infractions of mundane
law will be strictly enforced. Underage drinking (have your ID!), gross drunken behavior,
unwanted sexual attention (harrassment), and sexual escapades with someone underage will not
be tolerated. Any infracture of these rules will result in expulsion from the festival with no
refund, and possible arrest, if appropriate. Parents, watch your kids, especially teenagers, at all
times. Finally, FallFling is a private function, and is off-limits to media personnel acting in a
professional capacity. This is to ensure confidentiality for our participants.
Emergency Contacts: To contact someone on-site, call James & Rita at 770-258-
0863. I will be at home in Auburn just until the afternoon before the festival begins, and
after that time you can leave a message on my cell phone (334-332-3065). I try to check my
phone messages and email ONCE A DAY from Thursday-Saturday during festivals, but I
can't guarantee that my phone or email will work. Keep in mind that Dragon Hills is in the
boondocks, and is a *primitive* camping site devoid of technology. I have to drive up to the
barn to get a signal, and my email has been known to go wonky on me before. Therefore,
you are free to email or call me, but there is no guarantee I'll get it, and certainly no
guarantee I'll be able to respond quickly or at all.
Herald Patrol: We'll have heralds circulating the festival grounds with walkie-talkies
throughout the weekend, making announcements, checking for unattended fires that might be a
safety hazard, reminding people to move their cars after unloading, making sure the roadways
are
kept clear, and basically watching for problems that need reporting to the Security personnel
These heralds are essential please volunteer for a shift when you arrive!
Radical Self-Reliance: This means taking responsibility for yourself and the people
around you.
Come prepared. This is not an event where all the home comforts are supplied, or even available.
You are expected to bring everything you think you will need: clothing, food, water, shelter,
toiletries, first aid, toilet paper, etc. You *must* take home your own trash. You must clean up
after yourself *everywhere* on site, and be sure your camp and surroundings are free of MOOP.
There is no one there to clean up behind you or do things for you.
No Smoking in the Dining Area: The dining area to the left of the Kitchen, and the area
just outside it, is a no-
smoking area. You can smoke *outside* the dining area, but if those sitting at the tables can
smell your smoke, you must move further away.
Drumming: All drumming should be restricted to the main drum circle. Drumming
needs to
end by 10 pm on Thursday night. This is a compromise worked out with the
neighbors and local law enforcement.